All Shall Be Well () is a 2024 Hong Kong drama film, written and directed by Ray Yeung, starring Patra Au and Maggie Li Lin Lin. The film initially revolves around Angie and Pat, a well-off lesbian couple in their mid-60s, but the story ultimately explores family dynamics after the sudden death of Pat.
It had its premiere in the Panorama section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2024. The film won the Teddy Award for best LGBTQ-themed feature film, and 3rd place in Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film.
Synopsis
Angie and Pat are a wealthy lesbian couple in their 60s who have been in a happy relationship for the last 30 years, and live together in Pat's flat in Hong Kong. Their friends and relatives respect and adore their relationship. One night, when Pat suddenly passes away, Angie receives comfort from her friends and initially from Pat's family as well. But soon, disputes over Pat's funeral and estate cause a rift between them. Angie has no legal claim to the flat and depends on the fading kindness of Pat's family. Pat was the one who handled everything in their relationship, even though they split the costs equally. With the help of her chosen family, Angie starts a journey of self-reliance in her later years.
Cast
Patra Au as Angie Maggie Li Lin Lin as Pat Tai Bo (張嘉年) as Shing Leung Chung-hang as Victor Fish Liew as Fanny Hui So Ying as Mei Rachel Leung as Kitty Luna Shaw as Yvonne
Release
All Shall Be Well had its world premiere on 16 February 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Panorama.
In December 2023, Berlin-based company Films Boutique has acquired the sales rights of the film prior to its Berlinale premiere.
The film opened the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival on 28 March 2024. It had its Canadian premiere at the Inside Out Film and Video Festival on 26 May 2024.
The film was featured in Features section of the 71st Sydney Film Festival on June 6, 2024.
The film was showcased in 'LGBTQ+ Visions & Horizon: Queer Unbound at NYAFF' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 13, 2024. It was also presented in 'Strands: Love' section of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival on 10 October 2024.
The film was selected in the Standpoint section of the 35th Singapore International Film Festival and was screened on 29 November 2024.
Reception
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Josh Slater-Williams of IndieWire reviewing at Berlinale graded the film A and wrote, "[the] deeply moving fourth feature from writer-director Ray Yeung tenderly explores the aftermath of unexpected loss, where the uncertainty and chaos of the immediate grieving period is compounded by delicate negotiations that need addressing amid a very specific set of circumstances."
Clotilde Chinnici writing in Loud And Clear Reviews rated the film with four stars and said, "If there is a film that could capture this same feeling of this mundane and yet world-shattering grief, it is this one. All Shall Be Well will break your heart for its entire 90-minute runtime, but by the end of it, we realise it is all worth it."
Paul Heath of The Hollywood News reviewing at Berlinale rated the film with 4 stars and wrote, "Beautifully told and superbly acted, All Shall Be Well is an involving, very sad drama that is a standout at this year’s Berlinale Panorama strand."
Olivia Popp of Asian Movie Pulse states, "Yeung's latest feature is generous but never indulgent, taking the approachable genre of the family drama and placing it in the context of topical issues in today's queer Hong Kong...Between sequences, Yeung interjects towering Hong Kong highrises shot from below, the city both a haven for the couple — where street market stall owners happily recognize them — as well as a threatening source of the unknown."
Accolades
Award Date Category Recipient Result Berlin International Film Festival25 February 2024 Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature FilmRay Yeung Teddy Award for Best Feature Film Frameline Film Festival29 June 2024Comcast Audience Award for Narrative FeatureAll Shall Be WellFilmOut San Diego12–15 September 2024Best ActressPatra AuBest Supporting ActressMaggie Li Lin LinFestival International du Film LGBTQIA+ de Grenoble6 October 2024 Jury Prize Best Feature FilmAll Shall Be WellRio de Janeiro International Film Festival13 October 2024Felix Award for Best International FeatureAll Shall Be WellUtah Queer Film Festival 25–27 October 2024 Narrative Audience AwardAll Shall Be WellMIX Copenhagen27 October 2024Lili Award for Best FeatureAll Shall Be WellThessaloniki International Film Festival 10 November 2024Mermaid Award for Best LGBTQAI+ FilmAll Shall Be WellGolden Horse Awards23 November 2024 Best Narrative Feature All Shall Be Well Best Director Ray Yeung Best Leading Actress Patra Au Best Film Editing William Chang, Lai Kwun-tung Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards 13 January 2025 Film of Merit All Shall Be Well Dorian Awards 13 February 2025 Non-English Language LGBTQ Film of the YearAll Shall Be Well Asian Film Awards 16 March 2025 Best Supporting Actress Maggie Li Lin Lin Hong Kong Film Awards27 April 2025 Best Film All Shall Be Well Best Director Ray Yeung Best Screenplay Ray Yeung Best Actress Patra Au Best Supporting Actress Maggie Li Lin Lin
References
External links
All Shall Be Well at Teddy Award All Shall Be Well at Berlinale